Safety device on locomotives.



PATENTBD NOV. 15, 1904.

H. BOTERMANN.

SAFETY DEVICE ON LOCOMOTIVES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. M, 1904.

H0 MODEL.

Patented November 15, 1904.

HEINRICH BOTERMANN, OF GLADBECK, GERMANY.

SAFETY DEVICE ON LOCOMOTIVES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 775,074, dated November 15, 1904.

Application filed March 14,1904. Serial No. 198,084. (No model.)

To all whom it nmy concern.-

Be it known that I, H EINRICH BOTERMANN, a citizen of the German Empire, residing at GladbeckJVestphalia, Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety Devices on Locomotives, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to an automatic safety device consisting of certain appendages to a locomotive, as hereinafter described; and its object is to avert accidents that might arise from an overlooking on the part of the engine driver of a signal to stop the train.

My device is illustrated by the drawings herewith, in which Figure 1 is a locomotive supplied with the same; Fig. 2, a cross-section of the end portion of my improvement near the ground at the front end of the machine, and Fig. 3 a similar view taken at right angles to Fig. 2.

To the outside of the boiler there is attached at a convenient place a valve box or casing I), communicating with the boiler by a tube a and further by another tube 0 with a cylinder (1, projecting from the side of the steamdome of the engine. On the top of the said cylinder is mounted a whistle f, which is connected by a lever f" with a valve la in the steam-supply pipe the said valve being secured to the end of an arm of the said lever f, which arm serves at the same time as a rod for a piston c, ordinarily separating the said cylinder from the said supply-pipe, which is contained in the steam-dome. The aforesaid valve-casing 7) is provided with a steamoutlet 7r, which is ordinarily closed by a slidevalve 5. The latter is connected by a bellcrank or elbow lever m with a piston 0 in an air-cylinder )2, attached to and mounted at a suitable place on the outside of the boiler. The said bell-crank m is supplied at its outer end with a counterweight Z, and the said piston o is kept in a raised position by compressed air in the said cylinder n. From the turned open.

there is connected with and forming a continuation of the same a tube 7*, placed across the whole width between the said stop q and its fellow on the other side or merely projecting toward the middle. This tube 1- is of a frail easily-breaking material, glass being usually the most suitable. The compressed air holding the said piston 0 in the cylinder n in position extends throughout pipes 7 and '1'.

To make use of the mechanism or construction described,the block-signals should be provided with a suitable obstructing contrivance, such as a lever of steel or other hard material jointed in such way that it can be raised or lowered from the block-signal or any other suitable place. It should be of such shape that it will hit and break the said tube 0 when the locomotive runs against the said obstruction if it should happen, as in case of a dense fog, that the engineer overlooks the blocksignal. If the locomotive is at its front end supplied with a pilot or cow-catcher, the said breakable pipe 1' is behind the same and nearer to the ground than the bottom frame of the said cow-catcher, so that the latter protects the breakable pipe from any undesired obstructions. The contrivance intended to break the said pipe should be high enough to hit the latter, but should permit the cow-catcher to pass over it. \Vhen the said tube 1- breaks, the air within the same will escape, together with that in pipe 12 and cylinder w, releasing the piston in the latter, which will drop and by the bell-crank 11/ move the sliding valve and thereby open the outlet 7" and emit the steam which is contained in the valve-casing, having been supplied through the tube a and expanded into the aforementioned cylinder (Z through the aforesaid pipe 0. By the exhaustion of the said cylinder (1 the piston is forced by the steam in the aforesaid supply-pipe g to move into the said cylinder, opening the whistle-valve and by the movement of piston a moving along the valve 7t, and thereby shutting the steam-supply pipe g, which pipe g leads from the steam-dome to the cylinders of the engine, thus bringing the engine to a standstill. lVhen the obstacle requiring the stopping of the engine and train has been removed or the machine is to return, theafore- I said pipe 2 and cylinder a may be closed by scribed and for the purposes set forth.

turning the aforesaid cock p and filled again with compressed air. The piston 0 will thereby be raised again and will by means of the bell-crank 171 return the slide-valve 71 to its former position, closing the outlet A. By pulling an arm attached to the bell-crank f of the whistle, accessible from the cab or engineers stand, the piston in the cylinder (i will also be returned to its original position, whereby the said cylinder (Z will be again separated from the pipe 9 and the passage of the steam within the latter obstructed by the valve it opened again, and the engine can be put in motion.

l/Vhat I claim as my invention, and desire to protect by Letters Patent. is-

1. On a locomotive-near the bottom of its front end and near the ground below the same a pipe of frail, easily-breaking material, the said pipe being mounted between stops secured to the said front end, and being connected by another pipe, supplied with a stopcock, with an air-cylinder mounted in any convenient place on the locomotive; the piston in the said air-cylinder being kept in a raised position by compressed air with which the aforesaid pipes and the said cylinder are filled, and carrying on top of its piston-rod on the outside a bell-crank lever with a counterweight onone end and a slide-valve on the opposite end of an arm jointed to the said lever, the said slide-valve being inclosed in a valve-box and coveringa steam-outlet therein, which said valve-box is supplied with steam from the boiler through a tube and is connected by another tube with a cylinder projecting from the steam-dome of the locomotive, which cylinder carries on top a whistle connected by a kind of bell-crank arrangement with a piston in the said cylinder separating it from the steam-supply pipe in the said dome and with a slide-valve adapted to shut off the said supply-pipe by a radial movement of the said piston, a combination of the foregoing, substantially as shown and de- 2. On a locomotive near the bottom of its front end andnear theground below the same, a pipe of frail, easily-breakable material, the said pipe being mounted on and projecting toward the middle below the carriage from one l of the stops secured to the said front end, and being by another pipe, supplied with a stopi cock, connected with an air-cylinder mounted in any convenient place on the locomotive. l the piston in the said air-cylinder being kept in a closed position by compressed air with which the aforesaid pipes and the said cylinder are filled, and carrying on top of its pisl ton-rod on the outside a bell-crank lever with a counterweight on one end and a slide-valve l on the opposite end of an arm jointed to the said lever, the said slide-valve being inclosed in a valve-box and covering a steam-outlet therein, which said valve-box is supplied with i steam from the boiler through a tube and is connected through another tube with a cylinder projecting from the steam-dome of the locomotive, which cylinder carries on top a whistle connected by a kind of bell-crank arrangement with a piston in the said cylinder separating it from the steam-supply pipe in the said dome and with a slide-valve adapted to shut ofi the said supply-pipe by a radial movement of the said piston, a combination of the foregoing, substantially as shown and described and for the purposes set forth.

3. On a locomotive near the bottom of its front end, behind the cow-catcher and somewhat nearer to the ground than the framing of the said cow-catcher, a pipe of frail breakable material and being mounted between stops secured to the said front end, and being by another pipe, supplied with a stopcock, connected with an air-cylinder mounted in any convenient place on the locomotive, the said piston in the said air-cylinder being kept in a raised position by compressed air with which the aforesaid pipes and the said cylinder are filled, and carrying on top of its piston-rod on the outside a bell-crank lever With a counterweight on one end and a slidevalve on the opposite end of an arm jointed to the said lever, the said slide-valve being inclosed in a valve-box and covering a steamoutlet therein, which said valve-box is supplied with steam from the boiler through a tube and is connected through another tube with a cylinder projecting from the steamdome of the locomotive which cylinder carries on top a whistle connected by a kind of bell-crank arrangement wit-l1 a piston in the said cylinder separating it from the steamsupply pipe in the said dome and with a slidevalve adapted to shut off the said supply-pipe by a radial movement of the said piston, a combination of the foregoing, substantially as shown and described and for the purposes set forth.

4. In a locomotive, the combination with the pipe leading from the steam-dome to the cylinders, a valve on said pipe, a piston connected to said valve, a cylinder in which said piston operates, a whistle connected to said piston, a valve-casing in communication with said cylinder, avalvelocated in said valve-casing, and adapted to establish communication between the said valve-casing and the said cylinder, an air-cylinder, a piston in said aircylinder connected with the said valve, a pipe communicating with said cylinder and having a breakable extension located near the track, and adapted to be fractured by a device arranged on the track.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two witnesses. HEINRICH BOTERMANN.

l/Vitnesses:

\VILLIAM ESSENWEIN, PETER LIEBER. 

